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The New York Times – The brand marks on the Maclaren BMW model, under license from the automaker, are tasteful and discreet: there are BMW roundels on the hub caps of the auto-style wheels and one on the buckle for the seat belt. The BMW stroller is part of a series of strollers called Objects of Design that have included models branded Burberry, Juicy Couture and Lacoste.

by Jeff Lotman, ePerspective from Food Technology – On November 20, Hostess announced that mediation with its bakers union had failed and that the 82-year-old company would proceed with liquidation plans. The good news is that the company’s iconic brands, such as Twinkies and HoHos, may not be gone for good. There may be multiple buyers of the individual product brands under the Hostess umbrella or there may be a single buyer who acquires them all. But rest assured, they will be sold because they have real market value. Estimates are that the combined sale of Hostess could be worth over $2 billion.

by Karolyn Schuster, Rapaport – We know where the richest people live and how much they are worth. But are they buying luxury products?

Jeff Lotman, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Global Icons, a brand licensing agency, said his licensees sell “carbon fiber bicycles priced at over $5,000 to young male consumers who don’t even ride them. They hang them on their walls. In what other country would you find young people doing that?” Lotman said the Chinese luxury market is very male focused “but the female entrepreneur is becoming more significant.” Both groups, he said, buy luxury products “because they show the world you’ve made it and showing the world you’ve made it, in turn, makes you feel good.”

Noting the status cachet of branded items, Lotman said “the bigger the logos, the better. In other markets, it might seem ostentatious — almost in your face to us. But in China, they want the product covered in logos.”

Lindsey Jahn, Food Manufacturing – Hostess last week received court approval to liquidate its company, resulting in the termination of 18,500 employees and leaving the future of the company’s iconic brands up in the air. Food Manufacturing spoke with Jeff Lotman about the future of these brands and how the Hostess sale could affect the bakery marketplace.

Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY— Some new BMW customers haven’t even turned 16 yet — as in months, not years.

Introducing the BMW baby stroller. It’s not necessarily faster than other strollers, but it’s certainly stylish and nimble. And other babies are sure to watch with envy, even if it’s chauffeur- or mom-driven.

Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times – Take one part Brad Pitt, sultry superstar. Add a dose of luxury fragrance Chanel No. 5. Mix both delicious components in a commercial shot by Oscar-nominated director Joe Wright. What do you get?

When branding expert and Global Icons founder Jeff Lotman first saw the Pitt video, he said he “thought it was a little lame.”

But the end effect for Chanel will be positive, he said. The parodies give the brand public attention, “which is everything you could really want” as a company, he said.

by Jeff Lotman, cnbc.com – Last week, the U.S. anti-doping authorities asserted that renowned cyclist Lance Armstrong had not only engaged in illegal doping, but also gave banned performance enhancing substances to his fellow cycling team mates.